Ironically, the centrally mounted, pie-plate-sized speedometer gets easily ignored. Thankfully, the tachometer that resides above the steering column allows the driver to eyeball the digital speed readout below the centre of the tach. This way, you can register the car's speed without taking your eyes off the tach. All the better to take advantage of the Cooper S's new turbo four's power curve.

The turbocharger is a better fit for this particular engine.

Um, did I say "turbo four?"
If you recall, last year's Cooper S relied on supercharging to boost horsepower in the 1.6 unit from 115 to 168. This year, the Cooper S adopts a twin-scroll turbocharger.

The new turbo mill goes about its business with a velvety, linear smoothness, with maximum torque delivered much earlier.

Utilizing variable intake cam timing, sodium-filled exhaust valves and direct-injection fuel delivery, the turbo Cooper S is now rated at 172. More important, torque increases by 15 to 177 lb.-ft. - all of which is available as early as 1,600 r.p.m. An overboost feature delivers an additional 22 lb.-ft for a maximum of 10 seconds.

BMW says the Cooper S scoots from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.1 seconds. That's two seconds quicker than the Cooper and about a half-second quicker than the '06 S.

Also, there's less road and wind noise. And because of next-generation run-flats with softer sidewalls and more forgiving suspension tuning, the ride is less harsh, too.

Refinement seems to be the order of the day with the '07 Cooper S
But has the (slightly) larger, (slightly) softer-riding MINI become too mature for its own good? Has it evolved to be less of a driver's car, more of a ride for the poseurs who like the MINI's cheeky looks?

First up, hardcore drivers should like the new mysterious "Sport" button that resides in front of the gearshift. Optional on the non-S Cooper, it speeds up the responses from the steering and the throttle. Like the "Loud" button on your stereo, why would you turn it off?

In pushing the '07 Cooper S on backroads, it's easy to discover the car is not as sensitive at the limit as the '06 model. Now less prone to lift-throttle oversteer, just add a little braking through corners and the Cooper S pivots with ease.

The new Cooper is a bit more civilized but has not lost its fun factor.